In and Beyond Bath

"On our way back from Andalusia, Spain, we stopped in London for a few days to enjoy that fantastic city. On one of the days, we took an early morning train to Bath and joined two other travelers on a tour to Stonehenge AND as our gifted and talented guide called it, “Secret England”. The latter turned out to be a visit to several small villages in Somerset to explore their beauty historical significances. Our guide, Jules is a former history teacher and so he was able to really bring the history and importance of Stonehenge (luckily in late September there aren’t hordes of tourists) and the weather was glorious! After Stonehenge, we had a delightful pub lunch at The historic Bath Arms in Wiltshire (naturally ordered the fish and chips). Our next stop was at the village of Mells and St. Andrews Church and cemetery. The church has a long history, dating back to the 15th century and has several significant decorative features including memorials to some who die in World War 1. I really get a thrill out of visiting old cemeteries, especially to connect with people who evoke emotional memories from my early life (I have visited Pére Le Chaise in Paris three times to pay homage to Jim Morrison!). So, I was really intrigued when Jules led us to the cemetery at St. Andrews. We stopped at a gravestone that brought back so many memories of my days at Lawrence School, Lovedale and our classes in English Literature, reading First World War poems by Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. I was standing at the grave of Siegfried Sassoon as Jules played a recording of Sassoon in his own words. I was 14 years old when we studied these poems about the horrors of war and at this time, I felt profound emotions that I had never felt during any travel visit or tour. Sassoon had experienced the horrific trench warfare of WW1 when chemical weapons were commonly used, and he became a fervent antiwar activist till his death. Hats off to Jules and In and Beyond Bath Tours for this moving yet wonderful experience. Overall, our visit went great and visiting Stonehenge and the countryside of Somerset with Jules was a fantastic day away from London."

"We needed to find a ride for 6 adults and luggage for our trip from Bath to Oxford. We were lucky that In and Beyond had a van large enough and even luckier to have gotten Simon as our driver/tour guide. Not only was he personable and knowledgeable but he took us to places we never would have thought to visit. A great and eventful day for our group. Highly recommend the service and attitude of this company. Cheers."

"We did the Hidden Cotswolds tour and it was AWESOME. We didn't want to rent a car but still wanted to visit the Cotswolds and this was an excellent choice. Jules was a fabulous host and guide, very knowledgeable about medieval English history and how we ended up with the UK of today. Highly, highly recommend."

"Following a full-day outing with Nigel exploring "Saxons, Royals & Hidden Cotswolds", my wife and I couldn't resist booking this "VIP Dining Experience". The evening began with Dan picking us up and heading out to Lacock. We explored the village, learned aspects of its history that one would never guess, and later enjoyed some truly fantastic food and drink. The high point though was the experience itself. As with the full-day tour, we were instantly comfortable and engaged. While there was definitely time to immerse oneself in the history, the conversation still ranged far and wide as we explored topics that interested us. It was an incredibly entertaining and memorable evening. This experience merely strengthened our conviction that Jules, Nigel, Dan, and their colleagues have truly created a unique company with an exceptional approach. As ever, we highly recommend Around & About Bath."

"Around and About Bath was a great tour for several reasons. First it is designed as a smaller and more intimate tour in that it will only range from 2 to a maximum of 8 people at at time in a comfortable van designed for touring. Secondly, Julian has targeted not only the popular Stonehenge but also the Somerset areas that are not often visited by tourists yet are representative of the truer culture and nature of the areas in and around Bath. Thirdly, Julian himself is a History and Politics teacher who has traveled extensively world-wide in addition to growing up in southern England. His insights into history, both ancient and current history adds tremendously to the content and value of the tours. He is very personable and considerate of the needs of the tour guests. Several stops at historical Inns, Pubs, and even hot mulled cider at a home/Inn brings one into a close up look at life in England both now as well as in ancient times. We heartily recommend this tour. It was the highlight of our week in England. Karen and Rich Brito, Stephens City, Virginia, USA"